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Atlas / Library / Colubridae / Western Rat Snake
Colubridae

Western Rat Snake

Pantherophis obsoletus

Photograph: River Ahlquist · CC BY

Photographed by an observer on iNaturalist and published under a Creative Commons licence; the photographer and the licence are named under the image. It is not an animal of ours, and no animal was handled by us to produce it.

National law is not global, and we hold no national wildlife law for any country, Thailand included. Check your own authority before buying or selling.

Check your setup against this sheet I keep one 123 plants usable with this species
Back to the globe My keep

https://keepr.pet/husbandry/en/pantherophis-obsoletus

‹ All husbandry guides
warm end29–32 °C
cool end22–25 °C
Humidity50–70 %
Enclosure183×91×91
Diet7–14 days

The numbers

Thermal gradient

152025303540 °C
22–25°Cool side
29–32°Warm side

A real gradient, 29–32°C warm against 22–25°C cool, so the animal chooses. The sheet states no separate night figure.

Why

Same scale on every sheet here, so two species compare by eye.

The sheet stateswarm 29-32 °C / cool 22-25 °C

Humidity

50–70%Target RH

The sheet statesaverage humidity of 50-70%

UVB

T5 6%UVI 2–3

The sheet statesZoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia T5 HO Forest 6%, spanning half of the enclosure on the warm side; with mesh obstruction: 9-12", without mesh obstruction: 12-14"; target UVI 2.0-3.0 in the basking area

Identity

Origin

Enclosure and conditions

Enclosure

29–32 °C50–70 % RHUVB tube6 ft3 ft
warm sideUVB tube
50100150200 cm
6 × 3 × 3 ft · 183 × 91 × 91 cmWidth × depth × height
167dm² of floor
Substrate: not in our dataWater: not in our dataHides: not in our data

Drawn from the stated numbers. Only what the sheet states is drawn inside.

Why

The rectangle carries the exact width-to-height ratio of the figures above it, and the ruler under it places that width on the 0–250 cm scale every sheet here shares, so two species still compare at a glance. Nothing is added that the sheet does not name: a lamp drawn on a sheet that never mentions one would be invented equipment. What the sheet leaves out is listed rather than left blank, because an empty tank reads as « none needed ».

The sheet statesthe minimum enclosure size for one average black ratsnake is going to be 6'L x 3'W x 3'H

Temperature
warm 29–32 °C / cool 22–25 °C
Humidity
50–70%

What your climate adds

This sheet states a range to hold. Your local climate decides how much work holding it is. Pick the nearest city: nothing is sent anywhere, the choice stays in this browser.

Diet

Feeding rhythm

every 7–14 dAs an adult
4Meals in 28 days

Twenty-eight days, one row. Each band is a meal window. The sheet gives several ages on one line; this is the adult figure.

Why

The windows widen as they go because the interval is a range: four meals after a 10–14 day cycle land anywhere between day 40 and day 56.

The sheet statesmice, rats, African soft-furred rats, hamsters, gerbils, young quail, quail eggs, chicks, chicken eggs, green anoles, house geckos, small snakes, Reptilinks; hatchlings every 5-7 days, juveniles every 5-7 days, adults every 7-14 days

Common questions

How big does it get?

A large colubrid, often around one and a half to two metres, so plan for a big adult enclosure with height.

Does it climb?

Very well. These are excellent climbers, so branches and a raised hide will get you much more activity to watch.

Is it defensive?

Babies can be, with a lot of rattling and striking. Most calm down considerably as adults with regular handling.

Is it easy to keep?

Yes, the care is simple and they are hardy. Size and climbing space are the only real considerations.

What it needs

Enclosure at least 183 × 91 × 91 cmbecause enclosure — the minimum enclosure size for one average black ratsnake is going to be 6'L x 3'W x 3'H
A heat sourcebecause temp — warm 29-32 °C / cool 22-25 °C
A thermostat to regulate itbecause temp — warm 29-32 °C / cool 22-25 °C
A thermometerbecause temp — warm 29-32 °C / cool 22-25 °C
A hygrometerbecause humidity — average humidity of 50-70%
UVB 6-6% (T5), stated as requiredbecause uvb — Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia T5 HO Forest 6%, spanning half of the enclosure on the warm side; with mesh obstruction: 9-12", without mesh obstruction: 12-14"; target UVI 2.0-3.0 in the basking area

Every line above is deduced from a value this sheet states, and names which one. Nothing here is a general recommendation.

Sources

reptifiles.com — lu le 2026-08-04gbif.org — lu le 2026-08-08

Others in this group

Corn SnakePantherophis guttatusWestern Hognose SnakeHeterodon nasicusCalifornia KingsnakeLampropeltis californiaeEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinosMexican Black KingsnakeLampropeltis getula nigritaSpeckled KingsnakeLampropeltis holbrookiEastern KingsnakeLampropeltis getulaGrey-banded KingsnakeLampropeltis alterna

What this sheet states

77%
TemperatureHumidityEnclosure sizeActivityOriginDietSourcesUVB

This sheet states 5 of 7 of the fields this product runs on. What is missing turns something off: day/night engine and awake count on the globe, the diet section. We show the gap rather than fill it with a plausible number.

UVB is measured but does not count: it is absent from 421 of 678 sheets, and on most of them that is not a gap, since a nocturnal snake's sheet has no reason to state a UV index. Counting it would call the library incomplete without cause.